Dark Side of the Moon
by RipredtheGnawer
Summary: From the death of her mother and sister as a kit, misfortune follows Darkpaw like a flock of crows. The medicine cat tells of a new Clan and Darkpaw wonders if this is the escape she's waited for. Please read and review! Rated T for later chapters.
1. Chapter 1: Allegiances

**A/N: This story might not be updated very frequently. I wrote a lot of it before I put it on here, so some of it will go very quickly but I have a lot of things to do in the meantime. As in, homework and my other fanfics. Ok, here goes nothing...**

* * *

Allegiances

**ElmClan cats:**

Leader: Dawnstar – black she-cat with green eyes

Deputy: Crowtail – white tom with black paws

Medicine cat: Streamleaf – russet she-cat with green eyes

Apprentice: Specklepaw

**Senior warriors:**

Whiteclaw – white tom

Goldenleaf – ginger she-cat with blue eyes

Volenose – gray tabby tom with brown eyes

Apprentice: Thistlepaw

**Warriors:**

Heatherclaw – golden-brown she-cat with green eyes

Tanglepelt – brown tom with a short tail

Frostflower – white she-cat with blue eyes

Cindertail – dark gray tom with yellow eyes

Apprentice: Hazelpaw

Willowfoot – white she-cat with green eyes

Horse-ear – yellow tom with blue eyes

Apprentice: Cheetahpaw

Dawnstorm – calico she-cat with amber eyes

Apprentice: Shoalpaw

**Apprentices:**

Specklepaw – white she-cat with red flecks and green eyes

Thistlepaw – black tom with yellow eyes

Hazelpaw – cream-colored she-cat with blue eyes

Shoalpaw – gray tom with amber eyes

Cheetahpaw – orange tom with black spots and amber eyes, long-legged

**Queens:**

Featherheart – blue-gray she-cat with yellow eyes (mother of Horse-ear's kits): Dark-kit and Shellkit

Dustfur – gray she-cat with green eyes (mother of Volenose's kits): Mousekit, Smokekit, Tigerkit, and Brook-kit

**Kits:**

Dark-kit – dark gray she-cat with blue eyes

Shellkit – white she-cat with blue eyes

Mousekit – brown tom with green eyes

Smokekit – dark gray she-cat with yellow eyes

Tigerkit – dark brown tabby tom with amber eyes

Brook-kit – silver she-cat with copper eyes

**Elders:**

Vivian – russet she-cat with green eyes, former kittypet

Thrushtail – brown tom with yellow eyes

Goosenose – white-and-black she-cat


	2. Chapter 2: Battle Moves

**A/N: The characters in this story are mostly from my imagination. The Clan is from a roleplay site that I participate in, and so are some of the characters. Dark-kit is my character for sure. The roleplay site is called Storm Clan roleplay and can be found here: .com/**

**

* * *

**

Battle Moves

Dark-kit squealed with impatience as her mother groomed her fur roughly. The other kits were all outside, so why was she stuck in here? It wasn't fair!

"Mama," Shellkit whimpered from nearby, "Mama, I'm tired."

_Then go to sleep!_ Dark-kit thought, but she didn't say anything. Her sister was so tiny and wimpy and was never any fun. Dark-kit had learned long ago that her mother, Featherheart, would always favor Shellkit anyways. So there was really no point in saying anything.

"It's all right, dear," Featherheart mewed gently. She released Dark-kit and began to lap gently at the smaller kit's white fur. Dark-kit stretched and walked away, leaving them to it.

Out in the camp the sun was shining, and a slight breeze alleviated the heat. She spotted Horse-ear eating a starling near the warriors' den and trotted over to him.

"How's my little warrior?" the yellow tom asked cheerfully. He offered her a bite of the fresh-kill, which she accepted gratefully.

"What did you teach Cheetahpaw today?" Dark-kit mewed eagerly. By the time she became an apprentice, she hoped to know many of the battle moves already.

"I taught him the stand-up move," Horse-ear told her. "Do you want to learn it?"

"Yes!" Dark-kit squeaked. Her father knew that she did, of course, but he always asked.

"Well, pretend that you're the attacker," he meowed, "and jump on top of me." Dark-kit did so, and the warrior continued. "I'm fighting as hard as I can, but you're too strong for me!" She giggled at the thought of being too strong for her father.

"I'll go limp, and you'll think I'm giving up," Horse-ear explained as he dropped to his belly. But then-" he stopped talking and shot to his paws, throwing Dark-kit off. He sat down and waited for her to get up.

"That was great!" she chirped. "Can I try?"

"Not quite yet, Dark-kit," Horse-ear mewed kindly. "You're still too small – you'd be squashed like a bug!"

"Humph," Dark-kit grumbled, irritated, as she always was when other cats commented on her size. Then she brightened. "Then could I go on patrol with you?"

"No," her father's voice was firm. "You're only three moons old. You'll just have to wait like any other kit." Dark-kit stalked off, her tail dragging in the dust.


	3. Chapter 3: Gotcha!

She crept into the medicine cats' den, where Specklepaw was busy mixing a pile of herbs.

"What're you doing?" she wondered aloud.

"Oh, hi, Dark-kit!" Specklepaw mewed cheerfully. "I'm making a poultice of marigold leaves and honey – Willowfoot's got an infected cut. And then I'm going to get you!"

The apprentice laughed and sprang at Dark-kit, bowling her over. The kit was knocked off her feet and, when she was still again, she saw that Specklepaw had one paw on her throat. The green eyes were bright, and Dark-kit saw that her whiskers were twitching in amusement.

"Yeah, you got me!" she meowed, and rolled out from under the restraining paw. "Oops. I think you'll have to start over with that poultice," Dark-kit giggled nervously. The leaves were strewn all over the den, and sticky honey coated everything – including the two cats. Their brawl had been more energetic than they'd realized.

"Aw, fox dung!" Specklepaw groaned. "We were almost out of honey!" Then she sighed. "Well, we can't do anything about this now." The apprentice set about gathering the leaves.

"Can I help?" Dark-kit asked hopefully.

"Sure! You can put the leaves in a pile, and I'll go find what's left of the honey. I'll be right back." Specklepaw darted off into the herb store while Dark-kit did her own job. When the apprentice came back with the honey, they both cleaned their pelts before getting to work again.

"Excited about your apprentice ceremony?" Specklepaw asked.

"Definitely! I can't wait!"

"I remember my first day as an apprentice. Did you know that I almost got my pelt ripped off by Crowtail? I wouldn't stop annoying him…" Specklepaw trailed off, immersed in memories.

"Specklepaw! What's this?" a new voice demanded. Both cats whipped their heads around to see Streamleaf standing in the entrance.

"Sorry!" Specklepaw squeaked, sounding like a kit. "She offered to help, and I…"

"You what? Couldn't you handle the work?" The medicine cat sounded furious.

"Yes! I just liked the company!" Dark-kit wanted to cheer Specklepaw on for daring to stand up to her formidable mentor.

"I'll just… go," she mumbled, and scurried away.


	4. Chapter 4: Tell a Story

It was nearly sunhigh now, and the camp was deserted. She could hear Vivian's laughter coming from the elders' den.

"Well, look who it is!" Goosenose peered at Dark-kit as she entered. The elder's eyesight was fading rapidly, but her sharp tongue was still capable of cutting deep. Luckily, she favored kits over any other cat – except, of course, for Dawnstar, her daughter.

"Hi, Goosenose," Dark-kit mewed. She knew that the prickly she-cat's mew was worse than her bite.

"What brings you here today?" Vivian asked kindly. Vivian had not been born in a Clan – she'd been born in a Twoleg nest. Dark-kit had heard from the senior warriors that she had come to the Clan after her housefolk abandoned her. Apparently, Vivian had been about eight moons old at that time. She had been accepted into the Clan and apprenticed to Frostflower. Although she'd never lived near Twolegs again, the elder still smelled different. Dark-kit didn't know why.

"Is that Dark-kit?" Thrushtail raised his head and faced her direction, his sightless yellow eyes half-closed.

"Yeah. Hi, Thrushtail!" Dark-kit bounded over and licked the brown tom's cheek, purring. The blind elder was always kind to her.

"I suppose you'd like another story today?" he guessed.

"Yes, please!" Dark-kit nodded, even though he couldn't see her.

"Which one this time? Maybe the one about how ElmClan began?"

"Nah," Dark-kit meowed. "Tell me one about _you_!"

"All right. Let's see…" Thrushtail cocked his head to one side as he chose a story. "Many moons ago, before even your father's time, I was made an apprentice by Birchstar, the leader at that time. I was mentored by Dawnstar, but she was… let me remember… oh, yes, she was named Dawnriver then. She taught me so many things.

"One of the things she taught me was to gather moss. When I did, she reminded me that I wasn't only finding bedding for elders and kits, but that I was also creating the future of the Clan by ensuring that the cats were comfortable.

"She also taught me to fight. She told me to feel the strength of the whole Clan in my claws, and to run as if I had the paws of every ElmClan cat.

"It came in very useful one day. I was patrolling with Dawnriver, of course. But Tanglepelt, Willowpaw, and Dawnpaw were with us." Thrushtail stopped and chuckled. He seemed to sense Dark-kit's confusion. "You might know them better as Willowfoot, Dawnstorm, and Dawnstar. I forgot when I was!"

Dark-kit understood, and laughed at Thrustail's joke.

"Anyways," Thrushtail continued, "We were all patrolling together. And we were just nearing the border with PineClan when I smelled something. I'd never scented it before, but I didn't mention it. It didn't seem important. But it kept growing stronger, even when we walked in the opposite direction. So I finally mentioned it to Dawnriver, and she told the others.

"Soon Dawnriver's fur began to bristle along with Tanglepelt's, and she yowled 'fire' at the top of her lungs.

I didn't know what she meant. I mean, I'd heard of fire before, but I didn't understand why it was such a bad thing.

"But then I felt the heat and saw the red flames licking up the trees – that was before I lost my sight. When I saw the terror in the other cats' eyes and felt the fire for myself, I understood. And I turned around and ran towards the camp as fast as I could.

"When I got there, the Clan was in a panic. Birchstar was moving every cat out so that we could get to the caves before the fire spread.

"What are the caves?" Dark-kit wondered.

"The caves are a series of underground tunnels. They're cool and damp and they even have streams and mosses that grow there. They're practically like an underground camp. And that's where Birchstar was trying to lead the cats.

"When Dawnriver and the others returned, we followed the Clan into the tunnels. Do you know how long we waited there?"

"No, how long?" Dark-kit asked.

"I don't know either!" Thrushtail chuckled. "We couldn't see the sun or moon, and so we just sat there and waited."

"I remember – Streamleaf's kits were born there." Goosenose rasped.

"I didn't know Streamleaf had kits," Dark-kit meowed. "Where are they? _Who_ are they?"

"They're with StarClan now, young one," Goosenose sighed. "Their names were Scorchkit, Burnkit, Flamekit, and Firekit."

"What did they look like?" Dark-kit wanted to know.

"Hmm… Well, Scorchkit was a pretty black she-kit, with vibrant orange eyes – she opened them very early. We were all surprised. And I think Burnkit and Firekit, the two toms, looked just like their mother. They had the same russet pelts. Flamekit was a sleek white-and-black she-kit. The most beautiful kit I've ever seen." Goosenose stared into space, immersed in memories.

"What happened to them?"

"They just died. One morning Streamleaf woke and her four little kits were dead. She was heartbroken."

"Oh. Oh, I see." Dark-kit was lost for words. Medicine cats were allowed one litter of kits as long as they were Clan born, but what happened if the litter died?

"Anyways," Thrushtail mewed a bit louder than necessary, "we all got out of the caves just fine. Of course, the camp was a wreck, but it was fixed up within a moon or two. And that, I believe," he added, inclining his head towards Dark-kit, "is your story."


	5. Chapter 5: I Need Proof

Dark-kit padded out of the den and looked around the camp. Lush green ferns ringed the clearing, and the tall elms that gave the Clan its name were strong. It was hard to believe that it had once been gray and lifeless. She decided to ask another cat, one who would know for sure if Thrushtail had been telling the truth.

"Hey, Willowfoot!" she called, running up to where the white warrior was sitting outside the warriors' den. "Willowfoot, can I ask you a question?"

"Sure," Willowfoot meowed. "What do you want to know?"

"I was just wondering—" she broke off as Streamleaf exited the medicine cats' den and walked over.

"Specklepaw's busy," the russet she-cat explained, "so I'll dress your cut instead. You can keep talking," she added to Dark-kit.

"OK," the kit mewed nervously. "Um, Willowfoot, I was just wondering if- I mean, was there- did you… was there ever a fire in the Clan?"

Streamleaf gasped and froze, her eyes wide. Then she turned and fled back to the medicine cats' den.

"Well," Willowfoot's voice was mild. "That was only to be expected. I guess that answered your question – yes, there was a fire. Who told you?"

"Thrushtail," Dark-kit mumbled, not wanting to get him in trouble. Willowfoot laughed unexpectedly. "What?" Dark-kit asked.

"Oh, nothing. It's just that Thrushtail was an apprentice with me, did you know? And he always scoffed at the elders' stories. He said that they were thistledown. And now—" the warrior had to pause and breathe, she was laughing so hard. "And now he goes around telling kits the most depressing stories he knows!"

Dark-kit chuckled weakly, not sure what to say.

"Dawnstar!" a new voice shrieked, and Heatherclaw ran into camp. Her eyes were narrowed in anger, and her fur was fluffed up so that she looked twice her usual size.

"What? What is it?" the leader demanded.

"It's BirchClan!" Heatherclaw growled. "They're invading!"


	6. Chapter 6: Stop Fighting

Dawnstar snarled and kneaded the dirt with her claws. "Those flea-ridden excuses for cats!" she spat. "They're mouse-brains to trespass on _our_ territory! Goldenleaf, Whitetail, and Crowtail, go to the abandoned badger sett and ambush them if they come near. Volenose, Heatherclaw, and Cindertail will do the same at the river bend. And, ah, Dawnstorm, Horse-ear, and Tanglepelt, you go to the BirchClan border and look for them. If they're gone already, ambush them near the boulders. Make them wish they'd never been born!"

As the cats sped away, Shoalpaw stepped out from where the apprentices were huddled. "What about us?"

"Guard the camp," Dawnstar replied immediately. "You will stand at the entrance. Cheetahpaw, do the same at the dirtplace tunnel. Hazelpaw and Thistlepaw, keep the kits and the elders safe. They can stay in my den until all this is over. Specklepaw and Streamleaf, I expect you to be getting herbs ready." With that, the black she-cat leapt down from the ledge she was standing on and ran out of the camp.

"All right," Shoalpaw yowled, taking her place. "You heard her. Let's get going!" He and Cheetahpaw padded off to the entrance and peered out, talking quietly.

"Mother!" Dark-kit wailed. "Mother, where are you?"

"Right here." Featherheart mewed shortly, coming up behind her and grabbing her scruff. Swinging wildly, the kit was carried up to the leader's den. "Wait," the queen instructed, and ducked out. She returned a few heartbeats later with Shellkit in her jaws. The little kit was mewling pitifully and shivering.

Paws thundered up the slope behind her, and Dustfur ran in. The gray she-cat was carrying Tigerkit by the scruff. Dark-kit was surprised to see Brook-kit and Smokekit swaying as they hung on to their mother's back. They tumbled off, and Mousekit scrambled into the den. A larger cat shoved its way in, and Dark-kit recognized Vivian.

"Hurry!" Hazelpaw's frantic mew rose in pitch, and the sound of screeching cats – fighting cats – could be heard. BirchClan had reached the camp.

Vivian squeezed her way into the already-crowded den. Goosenose did the same, but no other cat followed.

"Thrushtail!" Dark-kit yowled. "Thrushtail! Where's Thrushtail?" When no cat answered, she weaved between the legs of the other cats and out of the den. A shocking scene met her eyes.

Cats from both ElmClan and BirchClan were writhing in the clearing below. She saw Tanglepelt and Volenose fighting a large white she-cat, and realized with a jolt of fear that Snowstar, the BirchClan leader, had joined the fight.

"Dark-kit!" A shocked yowl caught her attention. The little kit whipped her head around and saw her father staring at her in horror. As she watched, Horse-ear was knocked off his paws by a gray tom that she recognized from the stories as Smokestorm. The yellow tom was completely focused on the battle once more.

Dark-kit's gaze swept across the camp, but before she found Thrushtail, she was being picked up by the scruff once again. But this time, it wasn't her mother or any other ElmClan cat – it was Hollyclaw, the BirchClan deputy and a formidable fighter.

"Help!" Dark-kit yelped as she was carried through the battling cats. All around her were snarling, screeching cats of both Clans, and she could smell blood in the air. "Help me!" she squeaked again.

A brown tom careened towards Hollyclaw and bowled the warrior over. In her surprise, the BirchClan cat dropped Dark-kit and retaliated viciously. The two cats stood a few paw steps apart for a few heartbeats, and Dark-kit's stomach lurched as she noticed the tom's blank eyes.

Then the two cats were brawling once more. Now Hollyclaw had recovered from the surprise and was attacking with all of her strength.

"Stop! Stop!" Dark-kit shrieked, unable to do anything. "Stop it!" But of course, it was no use. The two cats continued to fight as if she hadn't spoken.

Then the battle reached a turning point. Hollyclaw's paw connected with the tom's foreleg, and he began to use only three legs. Not long after, he received a deep gash in his side. Not only that, but Dark-kit could see that he was tiring quickly. Despite his injuries, the tom continued to protect her, valiantly taking blow after blow.

As the two cats fought, Dark-kit realized that all of the other BirchClan cats were gone. But her attention was recaptured as Hollyclaw crowed in delight. The brown tom was backing away, bleeding from numerous wounds. He staggered backwards, breathing heavily, and fell on his side. The brave cat's flank rose and fell one last time, and then he was still.

Dark-kit's breath caught in her throat as she took in the ratty brown pelt and the yellow eyes that had been blank and unseeing even in life. She felt a yowl rising in her chest as she recognized at last the wonderful, kind tom that had died for her.

It was Thrushtail.


	7. Chapter 7: He's Gone

"No!" Dark-kit screeched, wheeling around to face the warrior. "You mouse-heart! He was an elder; he was _blind_, for StarClan's sake! He couldn't have hurt you. Why couldn't you leave him be?" Not waiting to hear Hollyclaw's reply, she launched herself at the older cat and began to claw every inch of her that she could reach.

Dark-kit realized too late that she was much too small to make any difference. Hollyclaw swiped at her with one paw and sent her tumbling into the dirt.

"Little kit," the warrior snarled, placing one paw on her throat, "I'm going to kill you, too. Then maybe you'll realize what it means to be a warrior!"

Hollyclaw raised her paw and bared her teeth, eyes glinting with fury. Dark-kit saw long, hooked claws glimmer in the sunlight.

_At least I'll be with Thrushtail now_, she thought desperately as the paw descended.

Then a horde of catsswarmed into the camp and Hollyclaw was buried in their midst. But Dark-kit was too stunned to do anything more than just lie there and stare at the light blue sky.

"Dark-kit, are you all right? Streamleaf! Streamleaf, help her!" As Dark-kit's eyes closed, she identified the voice as that of Horse-ear. She tried to tell him that she was all right, but she couldn't lie to him… the image that filled her mind was that of a set of clear yellow eyes, and then she was floating…

When she came to, Dark-kit wasn't quite sure where she was. There were a few cats nearby – she could smell them – but she didn't know whom. Then she heard a voice right next to her head, low and anxious.

"Dark-kit? Are you awake?" Her eyes fluttered open, and Specklepaw's face slowly came into focus.

"Hey, Specklepaw…" she whispered hoarsely. Her brain felt slow and unconnected as she struggled to understand what was happening. Then everything came rushing back in a sudden burst of clarity. "Oh!" she gasped. Then everything seemed to wobble, and Specklepaw was saying,

"Dark-kit, calm down! It's all right, you're safe!"

_No_, she wanted to yowl. _No, it's not all right, not at all! _As her vision kept vibrating and the apprentice placed a paw on her flank, Dark-kit realized that it was her trembling that made the world shake.

"Calm down, Dark-kit, calm down," Specklepaw repeated soothingly.

"No… no, he's gone," she whispered. "He's gone…"

"The Clan's sitting vigil for him right now," Specklepaw told her. "You can join them if you'd like to."

"No, she can't." Streamleaf's meow was kind but firm. "She needs to rest."

"Still?" Specklepaw's tone was one of disbelief.

"What? How long have I been out?" Dark-kit wondered.

"You were unconscious for a long time. It's Moonrise now." Specklepaw replied. "You-"

"This can wait," Streamleaf interrupted. "Dark-kit, you need to eat. I'll get you some fresh-kill." The medicine cat padded out of the den and returned a few heartbeats later with a plump squirrel.

"Thanks," Dark-kit mumbled around a mouthful. "Thanks a lot." She swallowed and looked up. "Where's my mother? And what about Shellkit?"

Streamleaf looked uneasy. "You, ah, you can see them when you're well."

"I feel fine!" Dark-kit insisted. "Why can't I see them _now_?"

"Um…" Specklepaw shuffled her paws and stared at the floor. When she didn't answer, Dark-kit heaved herself to her paws and began padding towards the entrance. Neither cat tried to stop her.

As she exited the medicine cats' den, she was momentarily blinded by the darkness. After her eyes had adjusted somewhat, she squinted around the clearing, trying to find her family.

Nearing the center of the camp, Dark-kit felt a huge lump in her throat as she saw Thrushtail's body. As she came closer, however, she saw through the gloom that he was not the only cat lying there.

Dark-kit could barely make out the other bodies, but she could faintly see the silver sheen of one pelt and the white fur on the other. Her heart beat faster as the dread threatened to overwhelm her. She trembled as she walked even nearer.

Finally, standing a tail-length away, Dark-kit recognized the two other cats whose lives were over. All of her nursery memories, of playing among the nests and sleeping nestled in warm fur, flooded her and erupted in a mournful cry, as she knew that these cats were her mother and sister.


	8. Chapter 8: It Was Time

"Come now, dear," a voice meowed kindly. "It'll be all right, just come with us…" Dark-kit was aware of many pelts pressing on hers, guiding her through absolute darkness.

Then she was in a mossy, moonlit clearing, very different from the camp where she had been just before. A tall maple stood alone in the center, its branches bare even though it was the height of Greenleaf.

All around her were cats, strange cats that she had never seen before. A golden she-cat was right next to her, watching Dark-kit with concern in her eyes.

"Who are you?" she demanded.

"I am called Sunheart," the she-cat replied.

"W-where are we?" she asked in a shaky voice.

"You're in my Clan, now, dear," mewed Sunheart. "You're in StarClan."

"I'm not dead, am I?"

"No, little one, you are not." Sunheart's whiskers twitched in amusement. "But there is someone who would like to see you." The starry cats moved to the edges of the clearing, blending into the shadows and becoming nothing more than glowing pairs of eyes in the darkness of the trees. Through their midst, a pair of she-cats padded towards Dark-kit.

"Dark-kit!" the smaller cat cried joyfully, bounding forward to lick her cheek.

"Shellkit?" Dark-kit meowed in astonishment. The cat looked exactly like her sister, but it couldn't be – her sister was weak, and could never have moved that quickly. "Is that you?"

"Yes, it's me!" cried Shellkit. And it was. "Dark-kit," she mewed solemnly, "I'm sorry I wasn't much fun."

"Um, thanks," mumbled Dark-kit, "but it's really not your fault." And then she looked past her sister to the larger she-cat.

"Hello, dear," murmured Featherheart. "I want to apologize for leaving you so soon. There was so much I never did…"

"How _did_ you die?" asked Dark-kit.

"Adderstrike, a BirchClan warrior, broke into the den. We couldn't get out in time." meowed Featherheart. "I'm so very sorry, Dark-kit. I never meant to abandon you like this." She paused, and then added, "But you have your father."

Dark-kit nodded, and looked around the clearing. "Can I see Thrushtail?"

"I don't think so, darling," Featherheart shook her head. "You have to go back now. But promise me that you'll live a full life. You have a Clan to serve."

Dark-kit had only time to nod, and then she was blinking open her eyes. _In the medicine cats' den again_, she realized. "I spend half of my time in here," she complained.

A gasp came from outside, and Horse-ear pushed his way in. "Dark-kit? You're all right," he sighed with relief. "I have something to tell you." Dark-kit waited for the inevitable. "Your mother and sister were killed by an invader. You won't see them again."

Dark-kit couldn't speak, but then she realized that her father was waiting for an answer. "It was their time to go," she mewed when she found her voice.

"You sound like an elder." Then his eyes widened and a horrified expression came over his face.

"Thrushtail," Dark-kit whispered. She struggled to her feet and padded unsteadily out of the den. The clearing was still bathed in moonlight, and the three bodies still lay in the center.

She lay down next to them and put her head on her paws. "I wish you were here," she whispered to the brown tabby pelt that was now limp forever. "Wait for me. I don't know when, but someday I'll follow you. I promise."


	9. Chapter 9: Apprenticed

Three Moons Later:

"All cats old enough to catch their own prey, gather beneath the Meeting Boulder for a Clan Meeting!" Dawnstar's yowl rang across the camp, drawing cats from their dens. Dark-kit shivered in the chilly air. Leaf-bare was approaching and they all knew that the first snow wasn't far off. Despite the cold, though, she was warm with excitement. Today was the day she would receive her apprentice name! Again, she felt a twinge of sadness as she remembered that she would receive it alone.

"Cats of ElmClan! Today is a very, very important day for the Clan. One kit, Dark-kit, has reached her sixth moon, and is ready to become an apprentice! Dark-kit, come forward." She did so. "Are you ready to leave the nursery behind and enter into the training of a warrior?"

"I am," Dark-kit mewed in a small voice. She wished it were stronger as she waited for Dawnstar to catch her breath. The leader had lost a life in the battle with BirchClan and had only one left. The unforgiving weather was weakening her.

"Goldenleaf, you know the ways of a Clan. I trust that you will do your best to pass them on to Dark-kit, who must receive her new name. StarClan, look down upon this cat and help her to become a warrior. From this day until she receives her warrior name, she will be called Darkpaw."

"Darkpaw! Darkpaw!" The Clan chanted as she touched noses with Goldenleaf. The ginger she-cat gazed at her with sparkling blue eyes.

"We'll start training tomorrow," the warrior murmured. But Dawnstar wasn't finished.

"It is also time for two apprentices to become warriors," the black cat meowed. "Thistlepaw and Hazelpaw, have you learned the ways of a warrior and studied the warrior code?"

"Yes," they replied as one. Darkpaw spotted Volenose and Cindertail watching, looking as though they were about to burst with pride for their apprentices.

"Then by StarClan, I give you your new names. Thistlepaw, you will be called Thistletail. StarClan honors your determination and loyalty." Dawnstar coughed once, and then continued. "Hazelpaw, you will be known as Hazelfall. StarClan honors your humor and kindness."

"Thistletail! Hazelfall!" The Clan raised their voices once more to acknowledge the new warriors. The two cats looked around happily but did not speak – it was the custom to remain silent until the next sunrise.

"Congratulations, Darkpaw!" Horse-ear's face was happy, but he couldn't entirely hide the sadness that lingered in his eyes.

"Do you think Specklepaw's upset?" she asked, more to distract him than anything else. Thistletail and Hazelfall were the young medicine cat apprentice's littermates.

"Nah. She's a patient cat. She knows how to wait until her time comes."

"Hey, Darkpaw, we'll choose your nest for you if you don't hurry up!" a friendly voice called. Cheetahpaw and Shoalpaw were waiting next to the apprentice's den.

"Got to go," she mewed quickly, and hurried away.

Darkpaw chose a nest as far as she could from the entrance. She wanted to be out of the wind, but the best nests were already taken. She knew she would be a little colder, but it would be faster when she needed to leave.

When the moon rose that evening, she curled up in her new nest. Darkpaw was filled with pride and the only thing that would have made it better would be if her sister and mother were here to celebrate with her.


	10. Chapter 10: No Catmint

The morning dawned bright and clear with no wind. The cold air pierced Darkpaw's pelt the moment she left the den, but she didn't notice very much; she was too excited.

The ground in the clearing was covered in frost, and she could see Streamleaf and Specklepaw leaving camp looking worried. She realized that the frost meant fewer herbs to use during Greencough season.

"Over here!" Goldenleaf called. Darkpaw turned and saw her new mentor waiting next to the elders' den with a pile of moss. She trotted over and wrinkled her nose at the atrocious scent rising from the pile.

"What is _that_?" she asked in disgust.

"Mouse bile," Goldenleaf mewed, barely holding back a laugh.

"We're…oh." Darkpaw realized that they would be grooming the elders for ticks, a task that all the apprentices complained about.

"We're going to be eaten alive if you two just stand there!" Goosenose called from inside the den. Goldenleaf rolled her eyes at the elder's impatience.

"We're coming," the warrior meowed, and led the way into the den.

"All right," she began when Darkpaw followed. "Who's got ticks?"

"Only Vivian. She insists on still hunting for her food," snorted Goosenose.

"It tastes better that way," argued Vivian.

"I don't see how you can even run that fast. You're too slow to catch a worm!" Goosenose replied.

"Well, it _did _give me quite a chase," laughed the russet she-cat.

"Darkpaw," mewed Goldenleaf softly. The apprentice turned her head and saw that Goldenleaf was waiting for her.

"Oh – sorry."

"Ok, so do you see this tick here?" the warrior meowed, parting the fur with one paw. "Just take some of the moss, soak it in mouse bile, and dab it on the tick. It'll fall right off."

"Yeah, Ok. I see." Darkpaw took the moss and tried it on another tick, and it worked perfectly.

"Great job. You can finish up, and come get me when you're done. We'll do something else later."

* * *

After she was done with Vivian, she padded gingerly over to Goldenleaf. The stench of the Mouse Bile on her paws was horrible.

"Let's go down to the lake. We can wash off the smell there, and then I'll show you something."

Darkpaw followed her mentor through the forest as she wondered what she was going to learn. She'd never been out of the camp before, and had no idea what it could possibly be. Battle moves? Hunting?

The water was icy and Darkpaw shivered when she stepped into it. "Why do we have to wash in the lake? Couldn't I just lick it off?" she asked.

"I suppose, if you want to have the taste in your mouth for days." Goldenleaf surveyed her apprentice. "I didn't think so."

"So what're we going to do?" Darkpaw asked when she stood on the sand. She'd been careful to only get her paws wet.

"I thought I'd teach you to fish," Goldenleaf replied. "Go stand on that log over there." Darkpaw looked where she had indicated with her tail, and saw that there was a log stretching from the shore to a few fox-lengths into the water. She padded over to it and cautiously put one paw out.

"Step lightly," Goldenleaf warned. Nodding, Darkpaw stood carefully on the log and stepped forward. When it dipped under her weight, she let out a startled yowl and slipped off the damp surface, landing with a splash in the water.

"Help! Help me!" sputtered Darkpaw as she thrashed. _I'm drowning!_ She didn't understand why her mentor was just standing there. "Help!" she repeated.

"Try standing up," Goldenleaf suggested, her blue eyes glimmering with kind laughter. Darkpaw did as she was told and realized that the water barely reached her belly fur.

With a snort of disbelief, Darkpaw stalked out of the water and onto the sand, where it formed clumps in her wet pelt. Trotting over to Goldenleaf, she pretended that nothing had happened.

"Have you been working on that?" a friendly voice called from the edge of the woods. Her pelt burning with embarrassment, Darkpaw turned and saw Streamleaf and Specklepaw standing there. "No cat could have fallen better!" She saw that it had been Specklepaw speaking.

"Let's see you do better!" Darkpaw retorted. She looked at Goldenleaf, who nodded, and then bounded off towards her friend. As she skidded to a halt a tail-length away, she saw that her mentor had followed her.

"What were you trying to do?" Specklepaw asked as the two older cats began talking quietly.

"Fishing," muttered Darkpaw.

"Well, it was your first try. You'll do better next time."

"I'll have to," she grumbled. "I couldn't do any _worse_!"

"Oh, calm down," Specklepaw soothed. "I didn't mean anything."

"None at all?" Goldenleaf's voice, raised and slightly panicked, broke into the apprentices' conversation.

"None. I don't know what we'll do when Leaf-bare comes, but right now we've got to get back to camp." Streamleaf turned and vanished into the bushes without another word, and Goldenleaf was right on her tail.

"None of what?" Darkpaw asked in confusion.

"No catmint. The frost killed it, and no catmint means no way to treat cats with Greencough." Specklepaw's eyes were dark with worry. "Leaf-bare's almost here… there are bad times ahead for ElmClan." As if to emphasize the truth of the apprentice's words, a cloud moved to cover the sun. A Leaf-fall gust of wind blew dead leaves into the two cats' faces. As one, they turned and ran back to the camp.


	11. Chapter 11: The Sun Maple

One moon passed, and Darkpaw learned how to climb trees and hunt rabbits and squirrels. She learned how to scent the air to know where a cat had gone. She was taught battle moves and became known in the Clan for her speed and swift claws.

But life was not all mice and moonshine. Darkpaw began to see Specklepaw's words come true before her eyes. The first cat to enter the medicine cats' den was Willowfoot, complaining of a cough. The next sunrise found her too ill to stand. Shoalpaw was next, and then Cheetahpaw. Specklepaw said that he must have caught the sickness from his fellow apprentice – also his brother – because he refused to leave his side, even to eat.

StarClan had taken Dawnstar's last life simply from age, and now Crowstar had taken his place as leader and named Whiteclaw as his deputy. He was a wise and caring tom, but the whole Clan could see that he was suffering along with every cat. Perhaps even more so, when his mate Frostflower, who was expecting kits, took a nest in Streamleaf's den.

"Cats of my Clan!" he yowled from the Meeting Boulder one snowy day. "I have decided to go to the Sun Maple to ask StarClan for help. They may be able to assist us in our battle against Greencough." Crowstar's words were greeted with cheers from the rest of the Clan. To Darkpaw's surprise, Goldenleaf informed her that she was to accompany her leader on his journey.

"Why?" she asked in amazement.

"It's tradition that apprentices travel to the Sun Maple at least once before becoming warriors," her mentor replied. "Now go get strengthening herbs from the medicine cats."

Upon entering the den, Darkpaw was hit by the stench of sick cats as though it were a tree trunk that she'd run into. She could see Crowstar saying good-bye to his mate, her belly huge with her kits. She hurried past, doing her best not to breathe at all.

"Ah, Darkpaw. I was wondering when you'd be in." Streamleaf's mew was tired but determined. "I've already mixed your herbs – they're right over there." The medicine cat pointed with her tail to a pile of dark leaves and roots.

Grimacing at the bitter taste, Darkpaw swallowed the mixture and shuddered. She was glad she only was required to make one trip.

"Are you going already?" Specklepaw meowed as she entered from behind.

"Yeah. We've got to hurry if we want to get there by Moonrise."

"Ok, then. And… Darkpaw, be careful, all right? I feel like there's something bad about to happen."

"How do you know?"

"I can feel it. In the chill of the wind and the way the snow falls on the ground, I can tell something bad will happen. Something with ice. So don't go crossing any frozen rivers, OK?"

"Sure. And I think you're just being silly. I'll see you tomorrow when I get back, I promise." Darkpaw turned away. "I'll see you tomorrow," she repeated, and left.

Crowstar led the way through the deep snow, making a path for Darkpaw to follow. They didn't speak – there was nothing to say, and even if there had been, the wind would have drowned their voices.

Darkpaw thought of Specklepaw's ominous words. Something bad… something to do with ice. She decided that she would just have to be extra careful, as her friend had warned her to be.

"We're here," rasped Crowstar just as the sun was beginning to sink below the earth. The trees parted into an almost perfectly circular clearing. The snow here was smooth and white. In the middle of the clearing stood a tall, strong maple tree. Even with its branches bare and laden with snow, Darkpaw could see that it was majestic. "The Sun Maple," her leader mewed softly.

"What do we do?" she asked.

"We wait until the moon rises. Then I will climb to the top of the tree and StarClan will share with me."

"Share what?"

"Dreams," Crowstar answered mysteriously. The two cats huddled in the roots of the Sun Maple until the moon began to rise, and then Crowstar clawed his way up the trunk. With instructions to stay where she was, Darkpaw curled up and tried to stay warm.

She didn't remember falling asleep, but she must have, because suddenly she jerked her eyes open and stared into the darkness, her heart pounding. She was freezing, she couldn't breathe!

A moment later, the feeling faded. She was reasonably warm in her little snow den. She couldn't think why she had felt like that, but then she remembered Specklepaw's prophecy. Darkpaw was sure that her strange hallucination had something to do with it.

The next few hours until the sun rose were frustrating beyond belief. She could only wait for Crowstar to wake up. When at last he sprang down from the branches, she stood and shook the snow from her pelt immediately.

"Crowstar, I need to tell you-"

"We must get back to the camp." The white tom's fur was standing on end, and his green eyes were so wide that Darkpaw could see their white edges.

If it had seemed to take a moon to get to the Sun Maple, the return journey took a season. Darkpaw's mind was filled with thoughts of icy water and sharp, jagged ice, and she was gripped with a numbing terror of what she and her leader would find when they arrived at the camp.

Soon she smelled the first scent marker, and then she saw the tunnel that led to the main clearing. When they were three or four fox-lengths from the entrance, they heard something that made Darkpaw catch her breath: a high, drawn-out wail, the sound of a cat in terrible pain.

Breaking into a run, the two cats raced into camp, staring wildly around for the injured cat. All they saw was Heatherclaw in the center of the camp, her face lifted towards the slowly brightening sky.

Crowstar rushed towards her, but Streamleaf intercepted him. The russet she-cat's fur was ruffled and her eyes were full of sorrow. She murmured something to her leader, who wheeled around and darted inside the medicine cats' den.

Darkpaw stood there, not knowing what to do. From what she could see, Heatherclaw was uninjured. Streamleaf was now shaking a few poppy seeds onto the snow in front of the warrior. She mewed something quietly, and Heatherclaw bent her head to swallow the sleeping seeds.

"Darkpaw!" a high-pitched squeak made her look around, and she saw Smokekit stumbling towards her, the kit's small weight not enough to break through the snow. "Darkpaw!"

"What is it?" Smokekit's yellow eyes were wide and scared, bringing back all the horror of her dream.

"Specklepaw's _dead!_"


	12. Chapter 12: Icy Waters

For a moment she could only stand there in disbelief, and then Darkpaw's head was spinning on her shoulders. Smokekit was lying, she must be, or she had heard wrong, because Specklepaw could not be dead – not laughing, happy, optimistic Specklepaw, who had always comforted her and helped her.

"I don't understand," she meowed mechanically. Smokekit stared up at her.

"Come with me," a voice commanded. The tone was firm but gentle, and although Darkpaw could not place the cat it belonged to, it smelled of herbs as Specklepaw always had. She followed blindly, not caring where she was taken.

The reek in the air told her that she was in the medicine cats' den. As she passed through the darkness, she heard the mewling of tiny kits. Her dead heart pricked with a new pang of grief. Had kits caught Greencough?

"Swallow this," the voice instructed. Darkpaw focused and saw a clump of thyme – another calming herb – on the ground. She looked up and realized that it had been Streamleaf guiding her. She forced down the herbs and stared blankly at the medicine cat.

"How?" she asked woodenly.

"She…" Streamleaf took a shuddering breath. "She fell into the lake. Through the ice." The russet she-cat looked at Darkpaw with a pleading look in her eyes. "I shouldn't have let her go. She was going to soak moss with water. I didn't think… I didn't know…"

"Can I see her?" Darkpaw wanted to see her friend one more time, even if the river water had already erased her scent.

"We don't have her body," Streamleaf whispered. "Cindertail went to find out why she wasn't back yet, and he saw the – the hole. She must have stepped too heavily."

_Stepping heavily._ Darkpaw remembered Goldenleaf's words that first day of training. Stepping lightly was the rule of the Clans – if you didn't, you would alert your prey to your presence. Darkpaw now realized that the trick was more important than any cat had thought.

"Streamleaf?" Crowstar's voice came from the entrance. Both she-cats looked around to see the leader's anguished face. "Will Frostflower be all right?"

"I think the worst is over," the old medicine cat sighed. She got to her paws. "Frostflower kitted while you were away," she informed Darkpaw, and the apprentice realized why she had heard kits as she entered the den. "There are two she-cats and a tom."

"What about the kits?" Crowstar insisted. "They're so weak."

"Dustfur can spare some of her milk. Tell the Clan any advice that StarClan has given you. They need it." Streamleaf stopped and gave Crowstar a sharp look. "They _did_ advise you, didn't they?"

The white tom said nothing.


	13. Chapter 13: 'Paws and Play

The days passed slowly for Darkpaw. Although she understood the rest of the Clan's joy for the new kits, she couldn't join in. She knew that the other cats shared her grief for Specklepaw, but she still felt as alone as she had when her mother and sister had died. It seemed as though each new death doubled the pain from previous ones.

After a few sunrises, the names were announced. The tom was pure black with yellow eyes and would be called Pantherkit. One of the she-cats, a ginger-and-white kit with amber eyes, was named Starlingkit. Cherrykit was the name of the second she-cat, and she was striking with her thick black-and-white fur and bright green eyes. All three kits were small and weak, but Streamleaf was hanging on to the hope that they would survive. Every cat wished that they could fight the kits' battle for them – this was probably Frostflower's last litter, and it would be horrible if they never became warriors.

Goldenleaf dismissed Darkpaw from training for a day, but no longer. She said that the Clan needed strong warriors, and Darkpaw had to admit that she was right.

Slowly, the apprentice began to show signs of her former self. She laughed at jokes and even brought back a large bit of honeycomb. Despite sporting many beestings, her eyes shone when the soothing honey was administered to Willowfoot, the only cat left in the medicine cats' den. Within a moon, the white she-cat was ready to return to her life as a warrior.

Darkpaw worked harder than either Cheetahpaw or Shoalpaw to perfect her skills, particularly fighting and tracking. Outwardly, she was the model apprentice: dedicated, respectful, and eager to learn. Secretly, though, she nursed a deep grudge against Adderstrike and Hollyclaw, the two BirchClan warriors that had murdered the cats she loved.

Horse-ear took his place in the elders' den. His ceremony of passage was cheerful and full of stories from the yellow warrior's long life. Only a half-moon later, Crowstar stood on the Meeting Boulder once again.

"Cats of my Clan," he mewed when they had all gathered, "today we celebrate two apprentices' training. Shoalpaw and Cheetahpaw have passed their assessments and are ready to become warriors. Will you use your training to uphold and defend the warrior code, even at the cost of your own life?" the leader asked.

"Yes," the two cats mewed fervently.

"Then by StarClan, I give you your warrior names. Shoalpaw, you will be called Shoalpelt. StarClan honors your faith and acceptance." The gray tom was looking ready to pop out of his fur with pride, and his amber eyes were bright.

"Cheetahpaw, your warrior name will be Cheetahflash. StarClan honors your bravery and quick thinking." Cheetahflash's tail was twitching as if he could not sit completely still, no matter how hard he tried.

"Shoalpelt! Cheetahflash!" The cats of ElmClan cheered.

"Their nests in the apprentices' den will not be left empty," continued Crowstar. "Mousekit, Smokekit, Tigerkit, and Brook-kit have reached their sixth moon and are ready to be apprenticed. Kits, come forward."

The four kits bounced to the front of the crowd. Darkpaw chuckled along with the others as she heard Pantherkit's voice drift over the assembled cats. "Why can't _I_ be an apprentice?"

"You're not old enough yet," Frostflower whispered. "Now hush and listen to Crowstar."

"By StarClan, I give these cats their apprentice names: Mousekit will be known as Mousepaw, and will be mentored by Volenose. I trust he will pass along his skills to this apprentice, just as he has done with Thistletail. Thistletail in his turn will mentor Tigerkit, who must now be called Tigerpaw. Brook-kit's apprentice name is Brookpaw, and her mentor will be Whiteclaw. Smokekit has asked for a different position in the Clan, and she will take the position of medicine cat apprentice." The Clan became absolutely silent and even the forest seemed to hush in a moment of silence for Specklepaw. Darkpaw felt her heart ache for her friend.

_Are you watching?_ She asked in her mind. _Can you see me now?_

"Her mentor will, of course, be Streamleaf." Crowstar twitched his tail, signaling the newly apprenticed warriors to touch noses with the younger cats. As they did, he continued to speak. "StarClan, guide the pawsteps of these apprentices and help them to learn the ways of your noble code."

"Mousepaw! Tigerpaw! Brookpaw! Smokepaw!" The clearing rang with the sound of ElmClan's pride in its young cats.

Darkpaw cheered along with her Clanmates, but fell silent as she saw Smokepaw laughing at something Streamleaf had said. She narrowed her eyes, remembering the previous medicine cat apprentice.

A bitter resentment rose up inside of Darkpaw, at both Smokepaw and her predecessor. Specklepaw had _left_ her, abandoning her without a warning. And now Smokepaw thought that she could simply take her place and fill the deep chasm left behind.

Darkpaw turned and stalked into the apprentices' den and flopped down onto her nest. The den would be noisy tonight, she realized, with all its new occupants. Shoving the thought from her mind, she lay there until she fell asleep.

She was in the forest, looking for something. She could hear a voice calling out to her… Specklepaw! Darkpaw pricked her ears but to her dismay, the sound grew fainter. She ran through the snow towards her friend's voice and emerged from the trees on the lakeshore.

"Specklepaw!" she yowled, her eyes scanning the frozen surface for a sign of life. "Specklepaw, where are you?"

"Help!" Specklepaw's voice was weak and came from a small hole in the ice that Darkpaw hadn't noticed. She padded forward cautiously until she was a tail-length away from the jagged edge.

"Specklepaw?" she mewed. Her voice was too loud in the absolute silence. There was no answer. She crept closer and peered into the water, her heart pounding as she saw her friend's black eyes staring up at her helplessly. "What do I do?" she cried to the swarm of black birds overhead. Looking back into the water, she froze. The black eyes were still locked on her, and panic flooded Darkpaw's veins. Specklepaw's eyes were green!

She backed away but slipped on the ice. Darkpaw lay on her side, unable to stand. The birds landed nearby and began to come closer in fluttering hops. Now she could see that they were huge, pure black crows with beady black eyes and long hooked claws.

"No! Stop!" Darkpaw screeched, but she couldn't move. The crows were almost upon her now. Their yellow beaks were sharp, and they kept coming.

Darkpaw jerked awake, breathing hard. Brookpaw froze upon entering the den.

"Stop what? Did I do something wrong, Darkpaw?" the new apprentice asked cautiously. "I just came in to pick out a nest, but I can do it later…" Brookpaw's copper eyes were uncertain.

"No, it's fine. Go ahead." Darkpaw walked past her new den mate and out into the camp. The twilight shadows had driven most cats into their dens, so the clearing was fairly empty except for Dawnstorm and Horse-ear sharing a rabbit near the warriors' den, and Pantherkit scuffling around by himself outside the nursery. He seemed to be playing with a pebble, flicking it back and forth between his paws.

Trying to rid her mind of her nightmare, Darkpaw headed towards him. His lively yellow eyes were focused on his game until she cleared her throat. Then he looked up.

"Hi!" he squeaked. He looked at his pebble and then back at Darkpaw. "There's nothing to do. The camp's so _boring_!"

"Well," mewed Darkpaw, "You just have to make it interesting. Use your imagination. What do you see over there?" she asked, flicking her tail at her father and Dawnstorm.

"Um… two warriors? And a rabbit?"

"Imagination," Darkpaw intoned.

"Ok, ok. Some big ugly badgers!" Pantherkit's tail was fluffed out with excitement.

"In our camp? What are you going to do about it?" Pantherkit looked uncertain, so she continued. "Crowstar will think you're very brave if you fight them off."

"Really?" Darkpaw nodded. "Let's go!" The black kit was about to run off when she slapped a paw down on his tail.

"That's not going to work. They'll hear you. Try this." She demonstrated a hunter's crouch, with her tail parallel to the ground and her back low. Pantherkit imitated her but fell over.

"That was very good, but if you keep your tail still it won't unbalance you," Darkpaw meowed. This time, Pantherkit was able to hold his crouch. "Now take a few steps." He did. Darkpaw dropped into the same stance. "Let's go behind the dens," she whispered, "so they won't see us coming."

"Yeah!" Pantherkit's nod was enthusiastic. Together, they padded around the edge of the camp until Horse-ear and Dawnstorm were straight ahead.

"Go!" hissed Darkpaw, and she and Pantherkit shot forward, bowling the warriors over. She tackled the yellow tom, leaving Pantherkit to pounce on the calico she-cat.

"What the-" Horse-ear's startled yelp was cut short as he was practically flattened by his daughter. The two cats grappled for a bit until finally Darkpaw sat up and placed a paw on his throat, breathing heavily.

"Well done," he rasped. "You've learned your battle moves nicely." Looking over at Pantherkit and Dawnstorm, they saw that the other warrior was snaking her tail through the dust, and the black kit was doing his best to pounce on it.

"All right," Horse-ear mewed. He rolled out from under Darkpaw. She remembered with a throb of grief how Specklepaw had done the same thing all those moons ago. "We'd better get some sleep. You'll want to be ready for training tomorrow, Darkpaw. I'll see you in the morning."

He turned and Dawnstorm, with a nod to the kit and apprentice, followed. The two warriors padded away together and Pantherkit scampered off towards the nursery, leaving Darkpaw alone in the growing darkness.


	14. Chapter 14: Marigold

Another moon and a half passed and brought frustration to the Clan. BirchClan scent was everywhere on the territory, but no cats were seen, even when Crowstar ordered extra patrols after the initial discovery.

The scent was mainly near the border and there were no fresh-kill remains nearby. The cats seemed to have been wandering around with no particular goal in mind.

Darkpaw wondered what BirchClan could possibly want. The intruders didn't know how to hunt squirrels like they did, only birds. There was fresh water in all of the territories, so that couldn't be it. Were BirchClan after healing herbs? It was unlikely, but still, it was the only thing that made sense.

Smokepaw progressed quickly in her training, much to Darkpaw's annoyance. She had hoped that the younger apprentice might have been better suited to the life of a warrior. She didn't exactly dislike Smokepaw herself, but rather the fact that she had chosen to become a medicine cat. _Anything else_, she thought, _Anything but that. _It was made worse by the way Smokepaw's kindness was so apparent, just as Specklepaw's had been.

One gray, foggy morning, Crowstar stood with Streamleaf and her apprentice on the Meeting Boulder. "Cats of ElmClan," he yowled, "Come together for a Clan meeting." Darkpaw stumbled sleepily from her den and took a seat beside Mousepaw. When they were all there, the white tom continued. "Smokepaw has had a dream from StarClan," he mewed, and looked at her for confirmation. The apprentice looked up at her mentor.

"Go ahead," Streamleaf murmured.

"I-I was standing in a field of marigold," Smokepaw meowed, naming the herb used for healing battle wounds. "But it wasn't in our territory. There were birch trees on the edge of the field. I could hear cats yowling in the distance and it sounded like they were hurt, so I started to gather the plants. But as soon as I touched it, the marigold vanished. Soon it was all gone, and then I noticed that the fur on my paws was so matted with blood that I couldn't see any bit of their regular gray. Then I woke up."

"There were birch trees?" Volenose checked. Smokepaw nodded. "Does that mean that the dream was about BirchClan?"

"That's what I thought," Streamleaf mewed.

"But why would a cat in _our_ Clan dream about another?" Tigerpaw asked.

"That's not the point," Cheetahflash argued. "I want to know what the yowling was all about."

"Nonsense," scoffed Goosenose. "The real question is why did the marigold vanish?"

"If we knew more, we might be able to figure this out," Crowstar interjected. "Smokepaw, can you tell us anything else?"

"Well," she began, "now that you ask, I remember something that I noticed just before I woke. I was looking down at my paws and…" she trailed off.

"Keep going," mewed Streamleaf encouragingly.

"I don't think it's important."

"If it isn't, then it can't hurt."

"Ok. So I was looking down at my paws, and they were all bloody, and my last thought before I woke up was that the blood was the exact shade of a fox's coat." A hiss went through the crowd at the word, and Smokepaw ducked her head in embarrassment.

"What about you, Streamleaf? Has StarClan shared with you?" Crowstar's voice was even and it was impossible to tell what he was thinking.

"StarClan have been silent," Streamleaf replied, "But if there was any great danger to our Clan, then they would have told me."

"I have an idea about what my dream means," Smokepaw piped up. The young apprentice looked scared stiff at the thought of sharing her opinion. "I think Volenose was right about it involving BirchClan. And it seems like the cats there are hurt but can't get any marigold to treat their wounds." She hesitated and then continued. "I think we should give them some of our herbs."

"Why should we do anything to help BirchClan?" Whiteclaw hissed. "They're nothing more than trespassing fleas! And I for one haven't forgotten their invasion. Featherheart is _dead_ because of those cats." The white deputy's whiskers trembled with anger, and Darkpaw remembered that he had been Featherheart's brother.

"And Shellkit," Brookpaw murmured sadly from where she sat. Darkpaw caught her breath as though she'd been clawed.

"Will you listen to yourselves?" Streamleaf spat. "I grieve for Featherheart, Shellkit, and Thrushtail as much as any cat. But StarClan has sent Smokepaw this dream for a reason. I-"

"Maybe they want us to take over their territory!" The excited mew came from Tigerpaw.

"Enough!" Streamleaf screeched, rising to her paws and lashing her tail agitatedly. Darkpaw had never seen the medicine cat this upset. "You're willing to let a Clan die without lifting a paw to help! This is what I would expect from rogues or outcasts, but certainly not from ElmClan warriors!" The russet she-cat took a shuddering breath as she tried to calm herself. "As I said, StarClan has shown this to us for a reason. We must help our neighboring Clans during times of need, and in this case it means that we must bring them marigold." Sensing that the cats below her weren't convinced, she added, "What is done is done. Nothing can be changed now, and dwelling on the past catches no prey."

"What do you think, Darkpaw?" Mousepaw asked, turning to her.

"I'm not sure," she mewed, not meeting his gaze. And she wasn't, on a much deeper level than her Clan mates. She knew that the honorable thing to do was to give the herbs to BirchClan, but she – like the others – was still grieving for the cats who had died all those moons ago. It didn't help that she still wasn't entirely happy about Smokepaw's job as a medicine cat apprentice. _You would go if Specklepaw thought you should,_ whispered a nasty, truthful voice in her head. Darkpaw pricked her ears as the idea hit her. Maybe Specklepaw would come to her in a dream and tell her what she should do. "I'm going back to sleep," she mumbled as she turned around and headed for the apprentices' den.

Curling up in her nest, Darkpaw shut her eyes tight and tried to dream. After what seemed like a moon, she opened her eyes in exasperation. Specklepaw was silent today, she told herself, and then blinked in surprise. She was in the Sun Maple's clearing, alone.

"What's the point of all this?" she called to no cat in particular. "If StarClan brought me here, why am I alone?"

"I think you need to review some of your training," laughed a voice from above her. Looking up, Darkpaw saw Specklepaw lying on a thick branch of the Sun Maple. "You can't even scent me when I'm right over your head… I should tell Goldenleaf."

"Specklepaw!" Darkpaw cried, and waved her tail at the former medicine cat apprentice. "Come down here!"

After a few moments, Specklepaw blinked. "All right," she sighed. "I can see you're not going to come _up_, so it's really the least I can do." But instead of scrambling down the trunk, she stepped off the branch into midair. Darkpaw stifled a yelp of horror – no cat could survive the fall – but Specklepaw padded gracefully on nothing until she reached the ground. Darkpaw stared in disbelief, her eyes catching the glimmer of stars in her friend's fur.

"I suppose this is a StarClan thing," she grumbled. "Floating around like giant feathers."

"Yes, but you needn't worry about it," Specklepaw told her. "Feathers aren't dangerous. But _I'm_ not a feather!" She flung herself at Darkpaw and the pair rolled about for a bit, just like they had before. But eventually they sat up.

"So. This isn't just an idle visit, right?" Specklepaw mewed as Darkpaw tried to scrape the dirt and grass off of her head.

"No," Darkpaw admitted. "I need – your – help," she grunted, batting at her ears in frustration. The plants still clung to her fur.

"With what? There's nothing that you need my advice for."

"Yes there is! What about Smokepaw's dream?"

"What about it?" Specklepaw was maddeningly unconcerned. "It seems perfectly clear to me."

"You're a medicine cat," Darkpaw reminded her as she shook her head vigorously with no effect. "You can tell me what I should do."

"I'm a _dead_ medicine cat, Darkpaw," Specklepaw mewed gently. "It's up to the living ones to decide things now. And besides," she added, moving closer and reaching up a paw. She hooked the stubborn plant on a claw and held it out to her friend. "You already know what you should do."

Darkpaw woke with a slight start, and sneezed. The breath blew a flower away from her. With curiosity prickling in every hair on her pelt, she slapped her paw on it.

The flower was a sprig of marigold.


	15. Chapter 15: See Through the Fog

**A/N: To anyone who actually like this story, please forgive me for the absurdly long wait!**

_

* * *

So that's it, then, _Darkpaw thought. _We're supposed to help BirchClan._ She knew it was the right thing to do, but her fur still prickled ominously at the thought of aiding her mother's killers.

"Hey, Darkpaw!" Mousepaw's voice came from outside the den. A moment later, he stuck his head inside. "Wake up!" He looked around, blinking in the gloom. "Oh, you already are. Well," he continued, "everyone decided that we have to go to BirchClan and give them herbs. And they asked me if I'd like to come. I said yes, and they told me I could pick another cat to come, too." He looked at Darkpaw expectantly.

She looked back at him. "What are you telling me for?"

"Um… do you want to go?"

"I guess," she meowed uncertainly.

Mousepaw's eyes lit up. "Great! C'mon, we're leaving right away!"

Shaking her head at her denmate's obvious enthusiasm, she followed him into the clearing. The rest of the Clan had assembled, the fog blanketing the camp in an eerie half-light though it was nearly sunhigh.

"Darkpaw." Her name came from somewhere deep in the fog. She followed the sound and saw Horse-ear waiting for her, his tail twitching anxiously. "Please be careful, Darkpaw," he begged, and there was an edge of pain to his voice that she hadn't heard in seasons. "I can't lose you. Not after…" he trailed off, unable to complete the thought.

"Don't worry, Dad," she mewed. "I'll be fine. It's not like last time – we're not even going to fight." _Although if it comes down to it_, she added silently, _I wouldn't mind in the slightest_.

"Okay," her father replied, still anxious. "Don't forget."

"Let's go!" Streamleaf called. Darkpaw met up with her and Smokepaw, Mousepaw, and Dustfur at the camp entrance. She came up beside the brown apprentice to hear him muttering sullenly under his breath.

"…Can't even go anywhere without her watching me…" Mousepaw glared at Dustfur, his mother, and Darkpaw felt a familiar pang.

"She's just trying to protect you," she whispered. She wished her mother were here to protect her.

But she wasn't, because BirchClan had killed her.

She felt her claws slide out and kneaded the dirt impatiently. It was a relief when they headed out of the tunnel into the forest.

The entire trek through the territory was tense. Every hair on Darkpaw's pelt crackled with anticipation. Just when she thought she could bear it no longer, she caught a too-familiar scent on the wind.

"Blood!" Mousepaw hissed, eyes alight with excitement. "We must be close!"

"We're just at the border," Dustfur meowed. "We'll wait here for a patrol."

The five cats sat at the border, and both Mousepaw and Darkpaw found it difficult to sit still. Smokepaw, however, was almost motionless, her wide yellow eyes staring worriedly at the fog. Eventually Streamleaf spoke, saying, "There's not been a patrol yet, though the warrior code decrees a patrol halfway between sunhigh and dusk. It's well past that. Either BirchClan is intentionally ignoring us, or they're unable to patrol. We should go ahead."

Darkpaw knew that the situation must be worse than she was letting on if she was willing to break the warrior code in order to help.

What seemed like moons later, the smell of blood was so strong that Darkpaw felt like she was choking on it. Then, so suddenly that she leapt into the air, a BirchClan cat tore out of the fog towards them.

"Help!" the cat screeched. Darkpaw saw that it was a tiny white she-cat, only a kit, with green eyes the size of the moon. "Who are you?" the kit yelped, staring at the intruders.

With a growing sense of unease, Darkpaw noticed that the kit's pelt was spotted with blood and she was trembling all over. "I'm Darkpaw," she mewed without thinking. "It's okay, we're going to help you."

"And I'm Mousepaw," her fellow apprentice added quickly. "We're from ElmClan."

With a squeak of horror, the kit began to back away. "E-ElmClan!" she breathed. "You don't belong here!"

Throwing a sharp look to the apprentices, Streamleaf stepped forward. "We won't hurt you," she promised. "We're going to help your Clan. Can you tell us your name?"

"Clawkit," the kit meowed. Despite the solemnity of the moment, Darkpaw had to stifle a laugh. Clawkit? This slip of a cat couldn't possibly claw a blade of glass. Wispkit would be more appropriate.

"Okay, Clawkit. Do you know what happened at your camp?"

"It was horrible! There were huge dog-things with red fur and they ripped all the cats to pieces! They – they ate Sunkit!"

"Who's Sunkit?" Mousepaw asked.

"My littermate," Clawkit wailed. "He's gone!"

Darkpaw felt as though she were being swept off her paws, back to the day when Shellkit had died. These cats weren't any different from her own Clan, after all. "Are the foxes still there?" she asked.

"What's a fox?"

"The dog-things you saw," Darkpaw explained.

Clawkit nodded.

"We have to help!" Darkpaw looked around at her Clan mates, praying that they would understand.

"Darkpaw and Mousepaw, you stay here and make sure that Clawkit is safe. Smokepaw, Dustfur, and I will go to the BirchClan camp," Streamleaf instructed. She turned to leave.

"But—" Mousepaw began to protest.

"Just do it! The foxes may come this direction, too. Be ready to fight." Without another word, the others vanished into the fog.

With a sigh, Mousepaw turned to Darkpaw, who looked at Clawkit, who was still trembling.

"Are you hurt?" she asked.

"N-no," Clawkit whimpered. "Where's my mother?"

"She's protecting you," Mousepaw broke in, saving Darkpaw from thinking up an answer. "You'll see her as soon as everything's safe." He met Darkpaw's eyes, and she saw that he knew as well as she did that Clawkit's mother was probably dead.

"What does your mother look like?" Darkpaw asked, hoping to take the little kit's mind off of the battle.

"She's beautiful. She's got creamy yellow fur and green eyes like mine, and she can do anything. She's the best cat in the Clan." Clawkit's pelt fluffed up with pride.

"I'm sure she is," Mousepaw agreed, and Darkpaw was surprised to find a genuine affection in his expression. "She's very lucky to have a kit like you."

At that moment, a piercing yowl rang through the air, though Darkpaw couldn't see its owner. A second scream followed it, but much fainter, sounding disconnected and eerie in the middle of the fog. And then – the unmistakable sound of a fox's bark.

"You wait here," Darkpaw mewed, tensed and ready to run. "That cat is dying!"

"Darkpaw, Streamleaf said to stay with Clawkit!"

"I'm sure she'd say differently if she'd heard that!"

And within the next heartbeat, Darkpaw was gone.


	16. Chapter 16: How Did You Die?

Darkpaw ran through the fog, her breath sounding too loud in the muffling whiteness that surrounded her. She stared wildly in all directions, not trusting the silence or apparent solitude.

Despite her caution, it was a close call when the snarling bundle of red fur barreled out of the mist towards her. She shrieked in terror before regaining her feet and attacking with all her strength. She clawed at the fox with a courage she hadn't known she possessed. To her surprise, the beast wasn't putting up much of a fight, but she was still only an apprentice. Even this was a challenge.

After an indeterminable amount of time, the fox shuddered and went limp, collapsing on top of Darkpaw. She heaved it off of herself and gazed at it in shock, not quite daring to believe that she'd killed it, noticing the long wound on its back that she hadn't inflicted.

_Wait until Goldenleaf hears,_ was her first thought.

_There's something wrong with my paw,_ was her second.

She'd taken a step forward, to check that the fox really _was_ dead, and yelped in pain. Her hind right paw was definitely hurt, but in the thrill of battle, she hadn't noticed before. She couldn't put any weight on it without nearly blacking out.

Darkpaw knew she should go back to Mousepaw and Clawkit, but the echoes of the unknown cat's wail were still ringing in her ears. She limped towards the sound.

Not far off, she found a spot of blood on the grass, along with an unfamiliar scent. Following the trail, she found more blood and, eventually, the wounded cat. She made her way towards the dark gray tom, though each movement felt like her leg was falling off.

"Who… are you?" he groaned, and Darkpaw saw the gash right over his heart, his life still pumping out of his body.

"Darkpaw of ElmClan," she whispered. "Wait here. I'll help you."

"Too late," the tom said. "Wound… too deep. Go home."

"I have to do this!" she told him. "I can't just let you die!"

"I go to StarClan," he rasped. "They will welcome me."

"What's your name?" she asked, not able to leave.

The tom coughed. "Adderstrike."

A half-remembered dream tugged at Darkpaw's thoughts, pulled from a memory of kithood and the worst sorrow.

"_How _did_ you die?" asked Dark-kit._

"_Adderstrike, a BirchClan warrior, broke into the den. We couldn't get out in time," meowed Featherheart. "I'm so very sorry, Dark-kit. I never meant to abandon you like this."_

With a gasp of recognition, Darkpaw stared at the wounded warrior lying at her paws. A surge of anger flared in her, but to her surprise, she found herself unable to do anything. This cat had _killed her mother_, and yet she wouldn't lift a paw against him.

"I recognize you…" Adderstrike murmured, his blue eyes glazed with almost-death. "I saw you briefly, many moons ago. A battle." His sides heaved with the effort of talking. "Two cats died at my claws that day."

"My mother and sister," Darkpaw whispered, her vision blurring.

"Yes. I regret it," he sighed. "They did not need… to die. Remember this, apprentice of ElmClan: a true warrior… does not kill to… win."

"I'll remember," Darkpaw promised.

Adderstrike's expression grew fierce, though he was very nearly dead. "Can _you_ fight?" he demanded.

Unable to speak, Darkpaw nodded, ignoring the pain in her leg.

"Then do. Help my Clan… A fox is not a warrior. You can kill those." He stiffened suddenly, letting out a gasp of agony. "Help my Clan," he repeated through gritted teeth.

"I will!" Darkpaw vowed, but Adderstrike didn't hear.


End file.
